Heart of Lead, Heart of Gold
by Star Otaku
Summary: Brock must return home to Pewter City...
1. Default Chapter Title

Disclaimer: I don't own Pokemon or its characters. They belong to Nintendo and TV Tokyo.

Author's Notes: Here's one of my earlier works. My first fanfic, to be exact! Completed in March of '99, so please excuse its poor quality. I was young and didn't know any better!

Chapter 1

It was a beautiful day, and our heroes were on a dirt path in the wilderness. The sky grew dark.

"It's getting dark real soon, and we have to find some place to spend the night," said Brock.

"And I'm getting really hungry," grumbled Misty, "and so is Togepi." Togepi, who was cradled in Misty's arms, replied with a happy "Toge-toge-prriiii!"

They continued to walk on down the path until they saw a large wooden cabin with a large P above the door.

"Oh look! A Pokemon Centre!" cried Ash as he pointed towards it. Pikachu, who was resting on Ash's head, let out an excited and weary "Pika-pi!"

Soon, all three of them were running towards the centre. When they reached it, an identical Nurse Joy looked up from her desk.

"May I help you?" she asked in her kind and soft voice.

"We would like a place to stay for tonight, if it's okay with you," said Ash.

"Don't forget, Ash, we're really hungry," added Misty.

Brock was standing behind them, his face a bright red hue, and he was muttering, "Uhgn... she's the most beautiful one..."

"Oh, Brock! They're all the same!" said Misty.

"Sure, all of you can you can stay for tonight. And thank you for the comment, Brock!" replied Joy.

Brock's face turned even redder as his friends followed Nurse Joy to their rooms. Misty turned around and saw him standing still, with his face in that goofy look. So she grabbed his arm and dragged him with her.

They saw their rooms and unpacked as Nurse Joy went to make them some food.

Brock went back to the lobby of the centre and saw the PCs in the corner.

_Maybe I'll call home,_ he thought. _It has been a while._

He walked over to a PC and turned it on. He dialed his home number.

His father answered the phone. Flint was wearing an apron, and he looked all worn out. Brock could hear some yelling and laughing in the background.

Flint looked up at the screen and his face lost some of its weariness. "Hello Brock!" said Flint.

"Hey dad," he replied. _ Maybe I shouldn't be doing this, when I left, we weren't exactly getting along. _ "How are things back home? It seems you're getting the hang of things."

"I'm just fine, and so are your brothers and sisters. As soon as you left, I took over the gym. It seems being a failure at pokemon training has taught me a few lessons."

"Is the gym okay? Are you winning any matches still?"

Flint's face became grave.

"What is it, dad?" asked Brock worriedly.

"It seems that I was winning, until a new trainer came into town," he explained. "Before the match, the trainer asked that if he won, I wouldn't reveal his identity. I promised him that. I was sure that I wouldn't lose, but this trainer's pokemon defeated me and seriously injured mine. I rushed them quickly to the Pokecentre and they all were in the ICU for days. Trainers going to the gym had similar experiences like mine."

Brock nearly fell out of his chair. _Who would do this to pokemon and my father! _"I'll try to get there as soon as I can!"

Brock said good-bye and closed the PC. He had to tell Ash and Misty that they had to leave for Pewter City tomorrow.

* * *

Outside of the Pokecentre's, Team Rocket saw Brock turn off the PC and rush to join the others for dinner.

"It seems that they're going to Pewter City tomorrow," explained Meowth.

"It'll be a perfect opportunity to get that Pikachu for the boss!" said Jesse.

"But Jesse, aren't we going to fail like all of the other schemes?" said James.

Jesse took out a mallet and whacked him in the back of the head. "You listen here! We are not going to fail! It is a wonderful scheme, and perfectly foolproof!" yelled Jesse.

"Hey! Let's see what those brats say about going to Pewter City!" suggested Meowth.

The three of them moved to the window of the cafeteria.

* * *

"Brock, we'll go to Pewter City with you, but it's a long walk from here to there," said Misty.

"Yeah, I agree with Misty. If we took a car or a plane, we could get there faster," replied Ash.

"You guys are right, we don't have the money to get a plane ticket or rent a car, so I guess I'll have to let that new gym leader go on hurting pokemon," said Brock sadly.

"Let's sleep on it tonight, and we'll see what we can do in the morning," said Ash.

All of them left the table as soon as they were done eating and went to bed.

* * *

Team Rocket heard everything while they were outside.

"Hmm, I think I know what we should do," began Jesse.

"Is it a wonderful plan?" asked James, as he nursed the large lump on his head.

"It sure is. Meowth, do we still have the Team Rocket helicopter?" asked Jesse.

Meowth's face widened with alarm as he knew what the chopper was for. "No way are we giving those brats the chopper!" he exclaimed.

"Meowth, it's either that or the balloon."

"We could follow in the chopper while they take the balloon," Meowth suggested.

"Then we won't be able to get Pikachu faster!" cried Jesse.

They got up and went to a small clearing where the air balloon was. They all got in and flew up to where their helicopter waited.

* * *

All night, everyone slept soundly, except for Brock.

Ash snored loudly and mumbled something about a new badge and catching every single pokemon in the world. Pikachu's ears perked up a little at Ash's mumbling.

Togepi was all curled up beside Misty and they seemed to be sleeping soundly.

_How can I defeat this ruthless trainer? He seems to be so strong,_ he thought. _ I don't know if I'm willing to put my pokemon on the line for honour. _ He sighed heavily and tried to sleep.


	2. Default Chapter Title

Chapter 2

The warm sunshine broke through the window and woke everyone up. They yawned and stretched and went to have some breakfast.

As soon as they were done, they took all of their things and left the centre.

"I wonder how we're ever going to find a bike or a bus out here," said Ash.

"Which reminds me," exclaimed Misty, "when are you going to pay for my bike!!"

They began to argue and Brock, Pikachu, and Togepi looked at each other and then at the bickering pair. Pikachu let out an exasperated "Pika!"

Brock turned away and soon saw up ahead of the path a black helicopter with a sign beside it.

"Hey guys! Cut it out! I think I see our transportation solution!" cried Brock.

The two looked up and saw the helicopter in surprise. They all began running towards it.

As soon as they got there, they read the sign. It said: Free helicopter! Easy to operate.

"This is our lucky day!" yelled Ash. "Let's get in and take a look!"

They saw the inside and the controls. There was also a note on it. The little note read: To get to destination, press the green auto-pilot button and choose destination from map on screen.

"This is easy enough," said Misty.

* * *

Team Rocket watched them from behind the bushes. They had smears of black paint all over them from painting over the red Team Rocket Rs all night.

"I can't believe they're taking the bait! You're a genius Jesse!" declared James.

"Why, thank you," she replied.

They continued watching them until the chopper began to take off. They ran back to their balloon and started it up.

* * *

"I can't believe we're so high up!" yelled Misty. "Isn't that right, Togepi?" She let Togepi look out the side window at the world below. He excitedly chirped, "Toge-toge-prriiii!"

"Wow! Look at all of the cities below us!" proclaimed Ash. "How are those controls doing, Brock?"

"I'm doing fine! I don't even have to use the controls! It's all on auto-pilot!" replied Brock.

It seemed everyone had to yell what they were saying because of the loud chopping noise the helicopter made. The ride was going to take several hours.

* * *

Team Rocket slowly followed behind them in their Meowth shaped balloon. They were a bit impatient because they were far behind.

"How long is this ride going to take, Jesse?" whined James.

"Quiet, you! Just a few more hours, I have this balloon going as fast as it can!" she replied.

"Meowth! Even a Slowbro is faster than this!" commented Meowth. "I knew we should have taken the chopper." And he pointed his paw at the small black dot that was their helicopter.

Jesse again took out her mallet and hit them both on the head. They both fell down with large lumps on their heads.

Soon, they all began to bicker. They didn't notice that they were flying into a flock of Pidgeottos, but the Pidgeottos noticed them. They were alarmed at the shape of the balloon, and feared that the giant Meowth would eat them all up.

"Pidgeot!!!" they all screeched, and they unleashed a whirlwind attack at the unsuspecting balloon. The whirlwind swiftly picked up the balloon even higher and sent it going at an even faster speed towards Pewter City.

"Team Rocket's blasting off again!" they cried as they disappeared from sight.

* * *

The whirlwind, carrying Team Rocket, moved past the helicopter and rocked it a bit.

"Pika-pikachu!" squealed Pikachu alarmingly.

"Did you guys feel that?" asked Ash. "What caused it?"

"Yeah, we all did! The screen here just says it was just turbulence, but we're still on course!" answered Brock.

"Hey everyone! Look below us! It's Pewter City!" cried Misty, and she pointed to the side window at the little grey buildings below them. Togepi excitedly squirmed in Misty's arms.

The control panel's lights began to blink, and they felt that they were slowly being lowered to the ground. They landed on a small clearing beside Flint's old rock shop.

Brock was the first one to get out. He looked at the city before him and had a determined look in his eyes. Brock was hoping that this thought would reach the gym leader's mind: _I'm here to set what's right, so you better watch out!_


	3. Default Chapter Title

Chapter 3

Our heroes walked down the street towards the Pokecentre. The doors opened and another Nurse Joy greeted them.

"Hello Ash! It's sure been awhile since I last saw you! My relatives keep on saying nice things about you."

Brock quickly stepped between them. "Hi, I'm Brock! I hope your relatives said nice things about me too!" His face was turning red again.

Ash and Misty looked at Brock with embarrassed expressions. They lowered their heads, shook them, then sweatdropped.

Nurse Joy looked a bit stunned, giggled, and then replied, "Some things never change. I still remember how you wanted to volunteer at the centre, and that goofy look on your face whenever you saw me." She then turned to Ash and Misty. "I guess he gives my cousins and sisters the very same treatment, huh?"

"All the time," remarked Misty.

Nurse Joy smiled, took Pikachu and the other pokemon, and got back to her work. "Wait for a few minutes, your pokemon will be ready by then."

Brock punched Misty at the back of the head when she wasn't looking.

They began to wait. After a few minutes of silence, Ash spoke up.

"It sure seems that there's no one coming to the centre today," he observed. They all turned and looked around the lobby. It was quite empty, and they were the only ones there, even though it was the afternoon.

"You're right Ash," said Misty, "I think that new gym leader scared everyone off."

Nurse Joy came in with Pikachu and some pokeballs on a tray. "Misty here is right. I feel so sorry for those pokemon that came in here, we had many close calls in the ICU. This place was full for the first few months, then everyone began to know about what was happening and decided to stay away. Everyone wanted to do something, but the leader was fighting by the rules. There are no rules against roughness, not yet, so they're taking advantage of it. I would also do something, but I can't risk my Chansey."

"Well, I intend to do something," said Brock.

Ash took Pikachu and all of his pokemon and they left for the nearest restaurant.

* * *

During their meal, they discussed strategies and what they know so far of the mysterious gym leader.

A waitress frequently went over to their table, often to replenish the napkins and bring more ketchup for Pikachu.

"I think that new guy will use rock or ground pokemon. I mean it's only appropriate for 'Pewter City'," considered Ash.

"You could be right, but this guy is a vigilante, so he might have a few tricks up his sleeve," replied Brock.

After finishing their meal and paying the bill, the same waitress took their dishes. The waitress wore a pink uniform with a white apron and cap, had short, orange hair, and looked very familiar.

The waitress was none other than James, in drag, and he carefully listened to their conversation.

"We better hit the gym if we want to get teach that leader a lesson he'll never forget!" declared Brock.

They got out of their booth, paid the money and got out the door. James scurried to the back where Jesse and Meowth were waiting.

"I can't believe you made me wear this!" he complained.

"Quit your whining! Tell us what they said!" cried Meowth.

"They said that they were going to the gym, and that they were teaching the leader a lesson. I also heard that this leader is ruthless, so that means they MUST have powerful pokemon!"

"Ruthless, you say?" inquired Jesse. "We better not tell the boss about this leader, or else he'll replace us with that guy! The only thing to do is just steal his pokemon, and where will he be then?"

"Another wonderful idea!" exclaimed Meowth. "Boss will take me back as his number one kitty! I'll be top cat again!" Meowth thought of all the attention he would get, and leave that Persian out in the cold.

"Quit your daydreaming, Meowth. We have work to do!" recalled James. He was out of that silly drag and back in his uniform.

Team Rocket left the restaurant to a small forest where their balloon crashed. The deflated face of Meowth hung loosely over the branches. They began to work on their devious plan.


	4. Default Chapter Title

Chapter 4

The three of them walked along the path that led to Pewter City gym. Brock slowly and cautiously walked up to his former gym. The outside didn't change much, except that there was a large stone wall surrounding the back of the gym.

Ash and Misty walked behind him looking worriedly at their friend.

"I hope Brock doesn't lose his cool once we're inside," whispered Misty. Togepi looked happily at Misty squealed with delight, oblivious with the serious situation.

"Me too. But I also hope he doesn't lose it when he sees the new gym leader," replied Ash.

Pikachu, who was resting on top of Ash's head, replied with a worried "Pikachu-pika."

They continued on walking to the large doors of the gym. A plaque hung on the large door. The plaque read, "Pewter City Gym: Leader- R. Mineral, the leader with a heart of lead, cold and unfeeling."

Brock gulped and slowly pushed open the doors, some sunshine crept through the opening, and all three of them stepped in. They gasped at what they saw.

The inside was dark and deserted, but soon he saw the lights over the fighting arena. It looked pretty much the same, except for one difference. There were stalactites, stalagmites, and stone pillars added to the terrain.

_This new arena looks a lot more dangerous!_ thought Brock. "I'm Brock! Former Pewter City gym leader! I challenge you to a pokemon battle!" he announced.

The nothingness did not answer him.

"Did you hear me?! I'm Brock! Former Pewter City gym leader! I challenge you to a pokemon battle!" he repeated.

A high pitched laughter filled the room, more like a girl than a boy. They fell down to the ground in surprise. They got up quickly and looked to their right to see a dark silhouette seated on a throne made of rock. The silhouette looked like a girl.

_Huh? What's the meaning of this?!_ pondered Brock.

The three humans and Pikachu were both confused, Togepi still continued to play happily in Misty's arms.

The girl figure got up from her seat and walked towards them. Light from the open door reflected off two lenses, so she must have been wearing glasses.

The girl walked into the light. She was about Misty's height, she had wavy black hair and deep brown eyes. Everything she wore was a dull grey colour, even the glasses seemed to have a greyish tint. She wore knee-high boots, a skirt, a vest just like Brock's, except it was zipped all the way up. Where the left breast pocket was, there was a grey, metallic, heart shaped badge.

"Oh, hello little girl, can we see your older brother?" Brock asked.

"I am the gym leader," she replied in a stern and serious voice. She reached into one of the pockets and pulled out an I.D. card. "I am Roxanne Mineral, and I know that you are here for a match. Come here to reclaim your gym?" The girl's gaze scanned his friends, and stayed a bit longer on him.

Brock was stunned, it showed on his face and everybody else's.

"You're all surprised at my appearance and my reputation. With the way I look, my opponents underestimate me, but it doesn't matter now because I always beat them, appearance or not. I won't accept your challenge, unless she," Roxanne pointed at Misty, "will fight in your place."

"No way!" cried Brock. "I fight my own battles! And the rules state that you have to accept every challenge!"

"Yes, the rules say I have to accept every challenge, but they don't say I can apply conditions to the challenger. And technically, you just refused the match!" She suddenly pushed all of them out the open door. They crashed to the ground painfully.

"Oh, what was that about?" asked Ash, as he got up and rubbed his bottom. Pikachu clambered up to perch on his head again.

"It seems she prefers me over Brock and you, Ash. And it seems that I'm the better trainer!" answered Misty. She looked at Togepi again, making sure he wasn't hurt in the fall.

"I just have to fight her! It's just what I have to do!" complained Brock.

"Since it seems she likes me better than you, I'll go see if I can talk her into a match," offered Misty.

"Thanks a lot Misty. Just try your best to convince her that I can fight her. You know that I have to do this."

"And while Misty is trying to butter this girl up, we'll go see if your family is okay," suggested Ash.

"All right. We better get going now."

Ash grabbed Brock by the arm and started walking in the direction of his home. Misty watched them until they were out of sight. She looked down at Togepi and said, "What have I gotten myself into now?"

Togepi looked back up at her blankly.

* * *

Ash, Pikachu, and Brock walked side by side. Brock looked at the ground glumly. Ash looked with concern at his friend.

"What's the matter?"

"You wouldn't understand, Ash, since you don't have any younger siblings. I don't know how I can face my family, it's been a while, and now that I'm here, I have to tell them I turned down a match."

"But you know didn't turn down the match! She did!"

"And I know what the rules state, so she's right," Brock sighed heavily. "Beaten by the rules, and by a GIRL!"

"I know what you mean. I thought that she was Misty's age, but it turns out that on her I.D., she's older. Do you think it was fake?"

"No. I mean if it was fake, she wouldn't be running the gym any more. The Pokemon League keeps a tight leash that the trainers and leaders are following the rules and that they give the right information."

"Good thing I have Dexter to give out my information. Oh, hey! We're here!"

They were right in front of Brock's house. It was a small, modest house, with rice paper walls on the inside and outside. Flint saw them through a window, so he came out to greet them.

Behind him trailed all ten of his children.

Everyone was there, and things didn't seem to change much. The twins were dusty and pouting because they had to take a bath, and Susie had a new rip on her dress.

Brock sucked up his courage and walked towards them with open arms.


	5. Default Chapter Title

Chapter 5

Misty nervously opened the large doors and walked inside. "Hello?" she timidly called into the gym.

"I see you've come back," replied a voice beside her. It was Roxanne. She still had that stern look. "So you've come back to accept my challenge?"

"Well, no, not exactly."

"Then what are you here for?"

"I just want to know why me and not Brock."

"I know that you were former Cerulean Gym leader and you must have won many battles. I choose the more experienced trainer, I like a seasoned opponent."

Misty stared at her blankly and asked, "How did you know I was from the Cerulean Gym?"

"I like to study very hard on the world of pokemon."

"Look, Brock was the former leader of this gym, so he must have more experience."

"This place the first stop, and from here to Cerulean, along the way, trainers will have much more time to gain experience."

"Well, we've been on a pokemon journey, so that means he must have experienced pokemon by now."

"Have you actually seen his train them?"

"Well, no, but..."

"Then that just goes to show how inexperienced he is."

Misty, feeling defeated, began to turn around and walk out the door.

"Have you a place to stay?" Roxanne suddenly asked.

Misty whirled around in surprise. "Um, sort of," she answered.

Her face seemed to have softened, but not much. "To show you I'm not totally heartless, I'll let you stay here. Come with me." Roxanne turned around and walked across the rocky arena to a door leading to the back of the gym.

Misty cautiously followed her. _ I just hope this isn't a trap._

Roxanne opened the door and she saw an incredible sight.

Behind the door, there was a beautiful garden with large trees that looked more like a rain forest, she seemed to see a distant hot spring. It was spacious and was surrounded by a large a stone wall.

"This place is where I live. My pokemon and I made this place. It is a garden and my personal domain," explained Roxanne.

"You mean I can stay here?" inquired Misty. "Can I invite my friends?"

"Do what you wish." And she walked off to the direction of a small cabin. Misty followed her to it. "This will be your cabin."

Misty opened the door, and saw a neat little bed and some bare shelves and nightstand. She walked inside and left her backpack on a shelf.

"You can wander around the garden and use the spring to your convenience," said Roxanne and she left.

Misty was excited. She couldn't wait to tell Ash and Brock about this place! She quickly went to her bag to get her bathing suit and try out the hot spring!

* * *

The children were screaming and squealing that their brother was back home.

Ash and Brock both entered the house and sat down at the already prepared dinner table.

"Is dinner ready yet, Flint?" asked Ash.

"Uh, well, I haven't had time to fix dinner since you boys just came in," Flint replied.

"Do we have any rice? I can make up some rice balls pretty quickly," offered Brock.

"You could go do that, I guess," responded Flint.

Brock quickly pulled on another apron and ran into the kitchen. In a whirlwind of rice and Brock's hands, 3 dozen rice balls were made. It wasn't a surprise that he could cook so fast and on such short notice, he HAD been on a pokemon journey and took care of 10 little siblings by himself.

"I want cold spaghetti!" cried little Timmy. Apparently his taste for cold spaghetti noodles expanded beyond breakfast.

Brock looked inside the fridge. There was a small bowl full of noodles. _ So Flint didn't forget all that advice I gave him before leaving. _ He took out the bowl and handed it to Timmy, and he gobbled it down.

After handing out the food, everyone gobbled their dinners down ravenously.

Pikachu hogged all of the ketchup and finished the whole bottle, even though it was just new.

"Do you boys have anywhere to stay?" questioned Flint.

"No, sir. Unless we can stay at the Pokecentre," replied Ash.

"Stay here instead. It may be crowded, but I'm sure we can make some room for you, Brock, and that little red head."

"Speaking of Misty, it's been awhile since we left her at the gym," mused Brock.

"You're right, we should both go down and see if she's all right."

"You go on ahead. I'll stay here, I have to discuss something with my father."

"Um, okay. C'mon Pikachu!" Pikachu's ears perked up, he left his empty bottle of ketchup, and hopped off the table to Ash's side.

"Ready to go get Misty?"

"Pika-pika-chu!" he replied.

They both ran out the door in the direction of the gym.

"I have a question to ask you, father."

"What is it, Brock?"

"Why didn't you tell me that the leader was a girl?!"

"I'm your father. I know you and how you react towards girls. After all, like father, like son."

Brock facevaulted with shock. "I should have known better than to ask."

* * *

Ash neared the towering gym. The sun was beginning to set.

Ash pushed open the doors with all his might, and he managed to move the doors enough to make an opening to squeeze through. He walked to the arena and Pikachu followed him.

"Pikachu, remember our first time here?" reminisced Ash.

"Pi-pika-pi-chu!" said Pikachu.

"Are you looking for your friend?" asked a voice behind them.

Ash and Pikachu nearly jumped out of their skin. They turned around to see Roxanne. "Aahh! Y-y-yes. W-w-where is Misty?" stammered Ash.

"She's in the garden, come follow me," replied Roxanne. She led them across the arena and to a door leading to the back. She opened it, and to Ash and Pikachu's surprise, there was a beautiful garden with large trees that looked more like a rain forest that was surrounded by a large a stone wall. He thought he could see Misty relaxing in a hot spring. Roxanne led him to a wooden platform near the edge of the hot spring, and Misty was definitely in it.

"Misty, your friend is here," Roxanne called to Misty. She them left the two to be alone.

Misty partly walked, partly swan towards them. "Oh, hello Ash! Look at the treatment I'm getting! I told you she likes me better!"

"Aw man! I can't believe I'm missing out on this! I've already been invited to stay at Flint's during our stay!"

"Well, you can't turn him down now, that would be just rude. And I can't just leave, that would also be rude."

"Pika!" cried Pikachu, and he leapt into the spring.

"Traitor," Ash muttered. He was jealous that Misty got the luxury and he was stuck in a crowded house. He was beginning to get mad at Misty and start bickering with her.

"You can't stay here, Ash, there's only one cabin, and it's already mine! You can go back and tell Brock that I'm okay."

"Fine! Pikachu, we're leaving!"

"Pika?" Pikachu leapt out of the spring, shook himself off, and perched himself on Ash's shoulder.

Ash angrily stormed out of the garden, out the door, and out of the gym. He was fuming all the way back to the house.

* * *

Brock stared at Ash in disbelief. "That's what you saw?! And that's where she's staying?!"

Ash nodded his head yes. "I guess we could go see her again in the morning," he suggested.

"Well, alright, I just hope that I can get my match, soon."

Then they both turned in for the night.


	6. Default Chapter Title

Chapter 6

The two boys slept cramped together in a small and narrow bed. Pikachu slept on one of the bedposts.

The night wasn't so peaceful. One of them was always falling off the bed and the other was always tossing, turning, and snoring. And they even heard the jingle of a bell in the hallways.

They woke up with the sun shining in their faces and a crowd of little children around them.

"Augh!" yelped Ash, as he jumped out of the bed. The children giggled at him.

"Good morning everyone," greeted Brock, and he gathered all of his siblings into a great hug.

"Were you sleep-walking last night?" he asked one of the little girls crowding him. She held up her hand to show a little bracelet with a bell attached to it. "I thought so."

"Father sent us to get you both to breakfast!" the siblings chorused in unison. They grabbed their arms, pulled them out of bed, and led them to the kitchen.

The table was already set, and the kitchen smelled like pancakes. Everyone's mouths were watering.

"Breakfast is ready!" announced Flint, and everyone ran to the table and ate their breakfast.

* * *

Misty awoke to the sound of the birds chirping and cooing outside in the garden. Togepi uncurled himself (because he usually sleeps all folded up) and yawned.

She then heard a knock on the door, so she got up to see who it was. She opened the door to find that there was nobody there, she looked around and then down to see a tray of food. There were some muffins, a cup of tea, and a bowl of food for Togepi.

_I guess she also studied how to cook for people and pokemon,_ she thought to herself.

Misty carried the tray inside and began to eat.

* * *

Breakfast filled everyone's appetites, it seemed that Flint learned to cook through trail and error.

"Hey, Brock, let's go back to the gym and see if Misty's still there."

"Oh yeah, I almost forgot. Just let me get my stuff." Brock ran back to the room to get his backpack.

Ash, Pikachu, and Brock left the house and walked towards the gym. It wasn't a very long walk, and they were both anxious to see the "secret garden".

They arrived at the doors and stepped inside. Ash showed Brock the way to the back door into the garden.

Brock couldn't believe what he saw! It was breath taking. He then saw the wall. _ So this is what was behind the wall,_ he thought to himself.

He then saw Misty come out a small cabin carrying Togepi, and they both ran to her.

"So, Misty, how was your stay here?" questioned Ash.

"It was wonderful! You both should have been here!" she exclaimed.

Both of them groaned in disappointment. "I can't believe I missed this!" they both complained.

"I see that your friends are here," said a serious voice. All of them turned to face the speaker in surprise. It was none other than Roxanne.

"Would you like them to get out of here?" said Misty nervously.

"They're your companions, and as I said, do what you wish."

"Can we get a tour of this place, please?" Brock asked politely.

"I'll only do this for courtesy, but not for you." And so she led them around the garden/forest. "This place was made by me, and my pokemon. We built it together," Roxanne explained. Just then, she took out a pokeball from her pocket and threw it. A Dugtrio emerged from the ball.

"Trio!" the three moles called out.

"Dugtrio helped me plough the soil, and care for it. He even helped these trees grow faster and taller. Dugtrio, return." She held out the ball and Dugtrio returned to it as a beam of red light.

She went on showing them the rest of the area, and then she finally showed them the hot spring. "Dugtrio dug a pit first and then dug all the way underground to find a source of water. The water that filled in was cold, so I used my Growlithe to heat up the water."

"Can we give it a try?" asked Ash excitedly.

Roxanne then turned to Misty. "They are your companions, do what you want," she told her. And she walked off to another small cabin that was hidden by some trees.

"Well, you guys can use the hot spring, I guess. You two can change in my cabin." She then pointed them to where she was staying.

They both changed into their trunks and both got in. It was so relaxing and warm, they gave out a contented sigh.

Misty soon came into the spring, changed into her bathing suit, to join them.

"Don't worry about Togepi. He's asleep in my cabin," explained Misty.

"I wonder what she has against us?" pondered Brock.

"Maybe she just likes girls better than boys?" commented Ash.

"Maybe that's it."

* * *

Ash and Misty soon got tired of sitting around in the spring, so they got up to walk around the garden. Brock was left alone.

He sat in the water at the far end of the spring, where it was shady because the foliage nearly hid him. Suddenly, he saw Roxanne at the other end, but she couldn't see him. A Growlithe was barking happily at her feet.

"Okay Growlithe, remember, even though the water is hot, you can only swim in it for a short time," she said softly and kindly to it. "So, what do you think of our new guests? I already know about Brock, and he sounds very nice, not like you-know-who, but that's another story."

The Growlithe barked at her.

"I know I have an image to uphold, but he is nice, I just don't know why I sometimes have to be so mean. I guess I do have a little crush on him, but that's just our secret." She then blushed a little, though not much. "Maybe I shouldn't act like this, I don't want to get hurt again."

Brock listened carefully. _ Wow, she actually likes me. If it's a secret, I shouldn't mention it,_ he thought to himself.

"It seems that nobody's here. I think I'll take a dip too. I'll just change." So Roxanne left to go to her cabin.

After a while, she came back in a dull grey swimsuit and a bucket full of water.

_I guess from here she kinda looks and acts nice. Maybe I should go over there and be friendly. _ He got up from his spot and half walked, half swam to her.

Roxanne saw him, and she blushed, but hoped that it looked like the heat from the spring made her look flustered.

He came closer to her, smiling with his hand out to help her in. Brock was getting closer when she suddenly frowned, grabbed the bucket, and poured its contents over his head. The water was freezing!

"AHHH! What did you do that for?!" Brock yelped.

"That's for trying to get your hands on me!" Roxanne replied harshly. She was back in the same mood.

"I just trying to help you into the spring!"

"I don't need any help! Hmph!" She suddenly walked away briskly and the Growlithe followed after her.

Brock was left shivering until the hot water warmed him up. He was left alone and confused.


	7. Default Chapter Title

Chapter 7

Team Rocket was (clumsily) trying to climb the wall that surrounded the garden.

"Ahhh! Catch me!" cried James as he almost made it over the wall. Instead, he fell to the ground with a crash. "Umph! Why didn't any of you catch me?!"

"Huh? Were you saying something?" asked Jesse. "What did you see over the fence?"

"Well, I'm not telling you, not after an apology."

"Meowth!" And with a blur of two paws, there were scratch marks on both of their faces. "Apologize to me for wasting my time! Meowth!"

"Aghh!" the two cried as the pain set in.

"Tell me, what did you see back there?" asked Meowth.

"Well, I saw lots of trees, some plants, and even a hot spring! If we got rid of the owner, we could get that wonderful place! Unfortunately, I also saw those annoying brats with our Pikachu!" described James.

"Let me see!" cried both Jesse and Meowth. They jumped on James' head to see over the large wall.

"Oh, my."

"Wow."

"It's beautiful!"

Those comments were what James could hear between his two team-mates on his head. They finally got down.

"Well James, you're right! It would be wonderful to get that place to ourselves!" complimented Jesse.

"Pokemon and a paradise! This will surely please the boss!" cried Meowth.

_I thought I also saw a glimpse of the owner, but it can't be her,_ thought James.

"What are you staring off into space for?" asked Meowth.

James snapped out of his thinking. "Oh, nothing."

"Good. Now let's get to work."

* * *

Brock had changed and was frantically tried to look for Roxanne and finally found her tending to some plants in a corner.

"Listen, I didn't know what that was about-"

"I finally accept your challenge! It was that earlier insult that finally convinced me that I should have that match with you! Let's get into the gym!"

* * *

"I just heard that they're getting into a match! Now's the time to put the plan in motion!" announced Meowth.

"Since when were you the leader of this operation?" snapped Jesse.

"I'm the boss' top cat, so I'm always the leader of you two idiots! Let's get moving!"

* * *

The lights shone brightly onto the rocky fighting arena. The competitors were on opposite sides of the area. Ash and Misty both sat on the spectator's seats and watched silently.

"We shall both use four pokemon each!" declared Roxanne. "Let the match begin!"

Brock reached from his belt, threw his pokeball and yelled, "Vulpix, go!" The fiery fox appeared on top of a stone pillar.

"Growlithe, go!" yelled Roxanne as she threw a pokeball from her pocket. The same Growlithe from earlier appeared. It jumped onto another pillar.

"Vulpix, tail whip!" Vulpix wagged its six tails, and Growlithe watched it, hypnotized.

Ash, Misty, Pikachu, and Togepi cheered on from the stands.

"Snap out of it Growlithe! C'mon, give it your fire spin!"

The orange and black dog shook its head to recover from the tail whip. It barked, and from its mouth, it released a tornado of fire.

"Vulpix, cancel it out with another fire spin!"

Vulpix opened its mouth and released a another fire tornado.

The two spinning fires collided and released a huge explosion that knocked out both pokemon.

Brock took out another pokeball. "Onix, go!" The towering rock snake appeared between the stone pillars.

"An Onix, this is interesting. Rokbit, go!" She threw another pokeball from her pocket. From it appeared a small rabbit made out of rocks. It was small compared to Onix.

"Wow! I never saw pokemon like that!" cried Ash. He whipped out Dexter from his pocket and pointed it at the pokemon.

"There is no information on this pokemon," said Dexter blatantly.

"Rokbit-" she was about to yell when suddenly the lights turned off and then on again. Everyone paused to see that two dark figures appeared.

"Prepare for trouble!"

"And make it double!"

"To protect the world from devastation . . ."

"To unite all peoples within our nation . . ."

"To denounce the evils of truth and love . . ."

"To extend our reach to the stars above . . ."

"Jesse!"

"James!"

"Team Rocket blast off at the speed of light!"

"Surrender now, or prepare to fight."

"Meowth! That's right!"

"James," Roxanne whispered to herself.

"What wonderful pokemon we have here today! We'll gladly take all of them, especially Pikachu," said Jesse.

"When will they ever learn?" muttered Ash and Misty.

Team Rocket suddenly saw Roxanne.

James saw Roxanne and her Rokbit, and said, "Maybe we should be leaving now!"

"What's wrong James, are you chicken now that one of our plans is going right?" taunted Jesse.

"That's the gym leader? Do you know her, James?" Meowth surprisedly asked.

"S-s-sort of. N-n-now let's g-get those p-p-pokemon!" he stammered in fear. He almost couldn't move because of fear.

"James! You finally married Jessebelle and took over Team Rocket! That just burns me up, and seeing you again is steaming me off!" yelled Roxanne. "Rokbit, rage tackle!"

Rokbit began to run quickly at Team Rocket. Jesse and Meowth could only laugh.

"Arbok, go!"

"Weezing, go!"

And Team Rocket released their pokemon.

"Ch-ch-arrrbok!" hissed the purple cobra.

"Weezing!" cried the grey gas-ball.

"Meowth! I think I'll take CHARGE of this!" called Meowth. He held in his paw a bomb. He then threw the bomb at the small stone bunny. The bomb gave off an explosion, and when the dust cleared, there lay the unconscious pokemon.

"Arbok, wrap!" commanded Jesse. Arbok wrapped itself around the Rokbit and dragged it over to Jesse. She threw a pokeball at it, and it went inside. "Hahahaha! Where are you now without your 'powerful' pokemon? C'mon! Let's get out of here!"

"No!" cried Roxanne.

"W-w-weezing! Smoke screen!" stammered James. Weezing released some thick and noxious green gas.

Ash released Pidgeotto and it blew away all of the gas.

Team Rocket was gone!


	8. Default Chapter Title

Chapter 8

In the middle of the arena was a single red rose and a note. Roxanne picked both of them up.

The note read: If you want to see Rokbit again, please join Team Rocket! We can be the best team together! James.

Roxanne took the heart shaped badge pinned on her vest. She opened it. It was actually a locket with James' picture in it.

* * *

"Ha! That was too easy," commented Meowth as they hid in their wrecked balloon.

"James, why did that girl suddenly turned that rock rabbit on us, and how does she know you?" asked Jesse.

"Yeah! What was that all about?" chided Meowth.

"Well, if you both must know. It happened just after I was hired by the boss, and before I was teamed with you two..." began James.

* * *

FLASHBACK

James is walking alone in a forest, in his uniform. The sun was beginning to set and the green forest had an orange hue to it.

"The boss said that I should steal only rare pokemon from anyone! I just can't find anyone to steal from!"

Suddenly he heard a girl's voice, coming from behind the bushes. "Finally! My first successful steal. In fact, my only steal! I can prove myself to the boss!"

He parts the bushes and sees a young girl with a statue of a bunny. "Well, we better go looking for our next match! If we win again, we can buy ourselves seeds for our garden!" the girl said softly to the rabbit.

James stared at her, his cheeks turning pink. He began to step towards the girl. The rabbit heard James footsteps and turned towards James, it stared at him.

"Who are you?" asked the girl.

"I-I-I'm James. Who are y-you?" he stuttered nervously.

"I'm Roxanne," she introduced herself, and gently patting the stone bunny, said, "this is my Rokbit. What are you doing here?"

James calmly composed himself. "I'm just going on my own pokemon journey. I'm looking for new pokemon to capture," he lied. "What is an unprotected lady doing out here? Shouldn't you be at home?"

"I'm just out here training my Rokbit, and as far as I know, you can't catch any around here. This is one rare pokemon. As for being at home, I'm an orphan, these woods are my home."

_Instead of stealing the pokemon from her, maybe I can get her to join me and give the Rokbit to the boss! _ "Why don't you join me on me pokemon journey?"

"Thanks for inviting me, but this place is my home."

"Then I hope you don't mind if I hang around with you for a few days."

"I was just starting on building a new cabin, you know, for the travelers. I'm almost done, so I guess you could spend the next few days here."

So she led him to a small clearing with two cabins.

* * *

That night, they both enjoyed each other's company. They spent the night talking and Roxanne learned why he ran away from home, because of an arranged marriage that he didn't want. He especially ran away from his controlling fiancé, Jessebelle.

That day, they were having a picnic together in the clearing.

"Actually, my pokemon journey is my job," said James.

"Oh really?" Roxanne replied curiously. "What is your job like?"

"I collect pokemon for my employer. The job pays well, and I would like it if I had a partner." James took another bite out of his sandwich.

"I am looking for a way to make some money to feed myself and Rokbit here." She tapped at the pokeball on her belt. "Actually, I really like you. I would be happy to be your partner, but let me think about it." And she began to turn pink in the cheeks.

"I actually like you too!" he confessed. "And now that we know the truth, I feel much better!"

They both laughed and went on eating.

* * *

"I should be leaving now," said James as he began to leave the clearing. "Have you made up your mind yet? Because if you don't, here's a picture of me to remember." James reached into his pocket and pulled out a grey heart pin, and inside was picture of himself. "This was part of my dowry," he said sheepishly.

"Well, I should get out of this place and travel more," she replied wistfully, taking her present.

"I can tell you how you can get the job. Just give the boss your Rokbit. It's extremely rare, and that's all that he wants."

Roxanne was shocked. "Give away my Rokbit?! I can't do that, we've been together for a long time!"

James suddenly became nervous. "You should give it over to the boss! I could lose my job!"

"Is that your job? Stealing other people's hard earned pokemon!"

"To tell the truth, yes!"

"Then I won't have any part of this! And to think that I wanted you for a boyfriend! Good-bye!" Roxanne turned away from James and began to walk briskly away from him.

"Koffing, go!" James threw a pokeball and out came a gas ball. "Smoke screen!" he commanded, and Koffing released a dark green gas. Roxanne couldn't see what was going on around her, and didn't notice that James took Rokbit from her belt.

James and Koffing ran out of the smog and were almost out of the clearing. Until Roxanne yelled, "Rokbit *cough* go!" The pokeball in his hand glowed red and out came the bunny pokemon.

"*cough* Rock throw!"

Rokbit turned its back to James and Koffing, and it popped its tail into the air. A new tail appeared and Rokbit kept popping it up into the air. It stretched its ears out to catch all the tails.

It bent its ears forward, and like a catapult, hurled the pile of stones on its ears at James and Koffing.

They were thrown high into the sky and were seen as a bright sparkle.

* * *

PRESENT

Ash, Pikachu, Misty, and Brock listened intently.

"That's how I met James," Roxanne ended her story.


	9. Default Chapter Title

Chapter 9

Roxanne showed them the note. "I have to get Rokbit back. I know that Team Rocket would never control her. She knows who I am."

"I'll help you find your Rokbit," offered Brock.

"Count us both in!" added Misty and Ash.

"Pi-pika-chu!"

"No, I can't let you guys do that. I mean, I can't get you involved. This is my own problem, I'll handle it myself. I guess a life of stealing pokemon won't be so hard. Now please leave."

"But-" pleaded Brock.

"I said leave now!" Roxanne ordered. Her voice nearly choked.

They left her alone in the gym. As soon as they were gone, she began to cry.

* * *

Meanwhile, Team Rocket was getting ready to meet their boss. They found the old electricity mill and set up the communications system.

On the screen, a dark figure sitting in a chair and wearing a suit appeared. "What have do you three have to report to me now?" the figure asked impatiently. The dark figure had a deep and intimidating voice.

"Team Rocket reports that we have a new pokemon for you, boss," replied Meowth nervously.

"It's about time that I got a decent report from you idiots. Your failing streak has worn down on my patience."

"Oh, we assure you that this new pokemon won't be a disappointment," said Jesse.

"And we even recruited a new member!" exclaimed James. "I left the gym leader a note!"

"You what?!" cried Jesse and Meowth in disbelief.

"Hmm. A new member to Team Rocket. I hope that this new recruit will be much better than you three." A sleek and stately Persian appeared and nuzzled the boss' leg. "I want perfection like this Persian."

"If this works out, can your Meowth be top cat again?" asked Meowth.

"Maybe. Report back to me when you are done with your mission, and it better be successfully."

"Team Rocket out." The screen went black.

"You better do some explaining, James. Or else." Jesse held up a large mallet that would crush his head.

"I still like her!" he confessed and began to bawl like a baby. Jesse took her mallet and hit James' head. A large lump appeared on his head, and he was out cold.

"I hope that his plan better work," muttered Jesse.

* * *

It was sunset, and Roxanne walked alone to the old electrical mill. _ Bad guys have to have a hideout. I just hope that this is it,_ Roxanne thought to herself.

Soon, she reached the mill, ducked down, and looked through the window. She saw James unconscious on the floor and a girl looking like Jessebelle standing over him. She thought she saw the Meowth in the corner talk. She could see on a control console in front of a big screen was a pokeball. It must be Rokbit!

She reached into one of the pockets on her vest to take out the note and rose James had left. She then waited for the time to enter the mill and confront Team Rocket.

* * *

Brock followed Roxanne from afar as she reached the mill. It was a relief knowing that he left Misty and Ash behind without them noticing what he was doing.

He jumped behind some bushes and spied on her. It seemed that she took some things out of her pocket and was waiting for the right moment to crash Team Rocket's hideout.

He began to start liking her, after he told them her story and after that secret confession of hers. She seemed to be the only girl he could keep a cool head around.

He suddenly saw her stand up and approach the entrance to the mill. He got up and tried to move in closer.

* * *

Roxanne felt angry at herself for doing what she had to do, but Rokbit her first pokemon, and when they first met, they had an instant bond that no one could break.

With all her anger, she kicked at the door again and again. She hoped that her kicking would startle Team Rocket. She then gathered all of the courage she had inside her and waited.

She glanced at the window to see that they were startled and that James quickly got up to answer the door.

He approached the door cautiously while rubbing the back of his head. He opened it slowly, expecting an ambush, peeked through the small opening, and saw Roxanne standing outside.

She held in her hand the note and the rose. "I'm here for your opening in Team Rocket. I've decided to take you up on that offer," Roxanne said.

"Uh, yes, come in," replied James as he fully opened the door to let Roxanne in.

She strode in nonchalantly and fixed James a cold stare. She then looked around the room to see Jessebelle and the Meowth looking suspiciously at her.

"This is Jesse and Meowth," James introduced the girl and the pokemon.

_So that girl isn't Jessebelle. I shouldn't care about her or the Meowth. I should care only about getting Rokbit back. _ Roxanne nodded and said nothing.

"This is the pokemon you're looking for," said Jesse, and she pointed to the pokeball on the console. She took the pokeball threw into the ground and commanded, "Pokemon, go!"

The pokeball glowed red, but nothing came out, the ball bounced into Roxanne's hands.

"You'll have trouble trying to get Rokbit to obey you. I wouldn't want you three to have the trouble of handling her," Roxanne replied professionally. "Here, let me show you." She quickly scanned the room and noticed that the Meowth was gone. She quickly shrugged that detail off.

She held the pokeball, and out came her Rokbit. She walked slowly out the door, and Rokbit followed her. Team Rocket nervously followed her outside.

"My pokemon hasn't been out in a while, I'm thinking of a match in order to keep it experienced and well trained. It would be good if I showed you the power of this little pokemon."

"James told us all about it. Maybe I should take you up on that match." And Jesse took out her pokemon, Arbok.

* * *

Brock saw that they were beginning a pokemon battle. Jesse's Arbok hissed and tried to bite at the Rokbit. Arbok finally got a bite at Rokbit, but coiled back in pain from biting the its hard skin. Roxanne then commanded her Rokbit to finish it off with a rock slide attack. And she won the match.

The two opponents called back their pokemon. They were all about to go back inside the mill when Roxanne turned around and began to run the other direction.

* * *

That stunt caught Jesse and James off their guard, it seemed too late to catch her, but with a flash of fur, Meowth appeared in front of her holding a bag of bombs.

"Meowth! I don't think you're going anywhere with that precious pokemon of yours! Now hand over the Rokbit unless you wanna go boom."

Roxanne quickly reached into one of her pockets, plucked out a pokeball, and threw it. "Growlithe, go!" she shouted.

The fire dog appeared and barked at Meowth.

"A known fact is that cats don't like dogs. Sick 'em, Growlithe!" Growlithe began to run at the scared Meowth. Meowth reached into his bag and threw a bomb at the dog pokemon. Roxanne held up her pokeball and called Growlithe back before the bomb could hit it.

Roxanne then called back out her Rokbit. Meowth was about to hold out another one of his bombs when a large Onix circled itself around Roxanne and her Rokbit. Onix shielded them from Jesse and James on one side, and Meowth with his bombs on the other.

Roxanne looked over Onix and saw Brock running over to help them.

Team Rocket quickly recovered the distraction and sent their pokemon out, Arbok and Weezing. The two hideous pokemon were trying to crash their way through Onix's hard skin.

"Meowth! Don't just stand there! Throw the whole artillery at that rock snake!" cried Jesse.

Meowth began to swing the bag around, building its momentum. Brock realized that if the bag of bombs was thrown, it would fall right where Roxanne and her Rokbit were!

"Onix! Open up the circle and let them get out of the way!" Brock yelled.

It seemed that Roxanne realized the danger too, and so she began to run away as soon as Onix let them go. But Rokbit was paralyzed by fear, it remembered what happened the last time it tangled with a bomb.

"Rokbit! Come here!" called Roxanne, but it still didn't move. Roxanne sprinted to Rokbit to pick it up and carry it away from danger.

As soon as she picked up Rokbit, Meowth let go of the bag and it came hurtling towards them.


	10. Default Chapter Title

Chapter 10

Brock kept running towards them to try and save them.

"You fool! Save yourself!" screamed Roxanne.

He continued running until he pushed them out of the way of the bombs. Unfortunately, the bag exploded right where Brock was! A large cloud of smoke and dust appeared. The explosion seemed to be so strong that no one could have survived the blast.

Onix roared a cry of distress at the loss of its owner and whipped it powerful tail at Team Rocket. It hurled them high into the sky.

"Team Rocket's blasting off again!" they cried, and they were seen as nothing more than a bright speck of light in the sky.

Roxanne called Rokbit back into its pokeball. The dust from the explosion settled and Roxanne saw Brock's still body lying in the grass.

Roxanne realized that Brock risked his life to save her. She ran over to him to see if he was alright. "Brock! Brock, please! Are you okay? Say something!" she desperately cried.

He fluttered his eyes open and groaned softly. He weakly called Onix back. "I'm fine. Onix's hard skin somehow protected me from the blast." He smiled and then fainted.

Ash, Pikachu, and Misty were running towards them. They were winded when they arrived.

"We thought we could give Pikachu a recharge at the mill. Then we heard the explosion, and we got really worried," explained Ash.

"Enough yakking! Let's get him to a hospital right away!" said Misty.

* * *

All of them were waiting nervously in the lobby of the hospital. A familiar looking doctor approached them.

"Doctor Proctor! The last time we met, we were helping some injured pokemon. How are they doing? Are they okay?" asked Ash.

"I'm sorry, you must have mistaken me for my brother. I'm Doctor Shoctor," he replied. "Your friend Brock just has a minor concussion, and a few bumps and bruises. He'll be fine in a few days."

The video phone at his desk rang. He answered it to find that Nurse Joy was calling.

"Doctor Shoctor! I'm glad that I could finally reach you! I would like to schedule a check up for next week. And maybe this Friday we could both go out for some pizza together," flirted Nurse Joy.

"Well Nurse Joy, I'll see if I could fit you into my tight schedule. I hope to see you this Friday then." He turned off the video phone. "Well kids, you go see your friend in his room. And tell him that he can go soon."

All of them walked into the hospital room and found Brock sitting on the bed. He seemed in much better shape, but he had some bandages over his head and arms.

"Hey guys!" he happily greeted them. "Don't get worried about me, I know that I'll be fine."

"That's great to know. Do you want us to get you out of here right now?" asked Misty.

"No thanks. Can you guys leave me alone with Roxanne?"

"Um, sure thing Brock," replied Ash.

They left the room to let the two be alone. Both were silent until Roxanne said, "I'm sorry for treating you the way I did."

"It's okay. I actually know that you think of me."

Roxanne blushed bright pink out of embarrassment. "I guess after you heard my story, you understand why I acted tough."

"Yeah, so you wouldn't get hurt the way James hurt you. But I wouldn't do that to someone like you." He flashed her a weak smile.

"I just had a lot of anger, and the only way to let it out was through pokemon battles." Roxanne sighed softly. "Since the doctor said that you need a few days of rest, maybe we could spend that time getting to know each other better."

"I would enjoy that. Now let's get out of here."

Brock got off the bed, took her hand, and they walked out the door.

* * *

Brock found out that he needed three days of rest, and he spent most of it with Roxanne. Misty always made fun of their time together, but it surprised her that Brock didn't give her a punch in the face for taunting him.

During their time together, they both learned of each others' past and dreams for the future. Roxanne really changed and became more of the opposite of who she was. Brock, for most of the time, didn't become red-faced and clumsy like he usually was around girls.

* * *

It was Brock's last day in Pewter City.

Brock and Roxanne were talking and having a picnic in the garden. The food that Roxanne cooked was delicious, and Brock even brought some of his own recipes.

"I already know that you want to be a pokemon breeder. So what do you want to be?" Brock asked.

"Well, I really want to be a pokemon researcher. That's why in my spare time I study all that I can about pokemon. I want to learn more about my Rokbit," answered Roxanne. "The facts that I have so far is that it is a girl and what her attacks are."

"How did you find her?"

"I was looking for a home, and I got lost in the rock cave, off of Route Ten. It was really dark and I soon tripped on a rock, or what I at least thought was a rock. I was really scared when I felt the rock move. I felt it and held on tight as it suddenly ran out of the cave. In the light, I found out it was Rokbit, and she didn't run away like wild pokemon do. We immediately became friends, and that's how I got her. She even helped me catch Growlithe and Dugtrio."

"Wow! I hope that you learn all that you can about Rokbit." Brock ate some rice and sticky rolls that were in the basket. "These are really good! Not only are you smart, but you can cook!"

"Well, your cooking isn't so bad either." Roxanne then looked at him nervously, thinking of something to say.

"What's wrong? Is there something you want to tell me?"

"Yes. You've given me such a wonderful time. I want to repay you by letting your father, Flint, become the gym leader of Pewter City again. Your father will be busy with running the gym that he won't have any time to take care of your ten siblings, so I want to be their baby-sitter."

"That's so generous of you, but I also have something to give you." Brock reached into a pocket in his vest and pulled out a heart shaped pin, but it was the colour gold. He opened it up to reveal a picture of himself.

Roxanne was so happy that tears welled up in her eyes. "It's beautiful! Thank you!" She excitedly gave him a hug, and just as quickly let go.

She took the grey pin from her vest and threw it away. She then took the golden heart, and fastened it on where the old pin used to be.

* * *

That night, they all celebrated Flint's return as gym leader. The dinner was held in Roxanne's garden, behind the gym.

Roxanne and Brock cooked up a feast together, and almost everyone enjoyed the food. Pikachu just stuck with a bottle of ketchup, and Timmy ate his cold noodles.

Brock's brothers and sisters took a quick liking to Roxanne when they found out that she would be their baby-sitter. They forgot the fact that she was the one who defeated their father.

Roxanne led Brock away from the festivities and near her cabin. She looked up at the starry sky and sighed. "This our last night together. I just want to know, is this good-bye?"

Brock took her hand in his and held it gently. "I don't know, but I'm sure that this isn't good-bye."

They stood there looking at each other, saying nothing. Then their faces came together slowly until their lips met.

They quickly pulled away, abashed. "I'm sorry. I didn't mean to do that," they apologized in unison. Their faces turned bright red, but realized that they both liked their first kiss.

They smiled at each other and kissed again, and held it a longer than before. The stars twinkled above them as their friends continued to celebrate.

* * *

That morning, our heroes gathered outside the gym where Roxanne, Flint, and all of Brock's siblings there to wave them good-bye.

Roxanne had changed her look, she wore the same clothes as before, but everything was coloured red, and even her glasses were rose-coloured. But Brock still thought that she looked pretty.

"Remember, I'm in your heart," said Brock, and he pointed at Roxanne's gold heart pin.

"Here, take this," offered Roxanne. She handed him her old locket, he opened it to find that there was a picture of her and Rokbit inside. "This is to let you know that I'm in yours."

They both kissed each other good-bye.

Brock was sullen to leave his home and his new girlfriend. But he knew that he would return someday, and he would be welcomed with lots of love.

The End

Additional Author's Notes: There you go. My first Pokemon fanfic. And it was quite the Mary Sue! I have to admit, Roxanne Mineral was quite like me back then (minus the whole liking Brock thing). Smart, a bit detached. Someone I was and wanted to be. Hope you readers don't condemn me for this! To quote the classics, I was not the author that I was then! I hope you guys enjoyed reading it. And if you're looking for a more matured sampling of my works, check out Anime Survivor!


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